Veneto, Dubai Waterfront

Dubai Waterfront is projected as the massive coastal development being built across the last remaining coastline of Dubai. While there are many projects due for completion, few have already emerged and have started to hand over completed properties in this development. One of the first neighbourhoods to take shape in Dubai Waterfront community is Veneto. Launched in 2008, Veneto is an exclusive residential community released by a leading real estate developer called Nakheel.

• An exclusive seaside neighbourhood
• Offering brand-new houses close to the city’s centre
• Will have access to Dubai Waterfront’s four-canal waterway system 
• Close to Dubai Parks and Resorts

Veneto has been divided into two phases. While the first phase is almost complete, we can expect to see the launch of phase 2 in the near future. In total, there will be 1200 low-rise apartments as well as 1400 townhouses and villas, predicted to accommodate a population of 14,000. Several properties in the initial phase have already been delivered.

• Community centre with retail and dining options
• Residential as well as commercial properties
• Access to the boardwalk that offers waterfront views

Veneto is designed as a mixed-use community that will also consist of recreational and commercial spaces. A few offices will be set up and will provide an opportunity for people to work close to home. There will also be piazzas – community gathering area that will feature retail and dining outlets.

In terms of architecture, the residential properties in Veneto focus more on functionality than on aesthetics. This involves large living areas and outdoor spaces along with rooftop terraces that let residents enjoy waterfront views. Nevertheless, you will also notice sleek finishes and modern details in the interior design of the homes. Staircases have glass railing support and the bright living rooms have access to balconies through wall-to-wall glass sliding doors. Other features include timber flooring across the bedrooms, built-in wardrobes, pre-fitted storage units, modern sanitary ware and additional areas such as maid’s room, laundry area and storeroom.

The built-up sizes of the houses lie between 4,768 sq. ft. and 7,028 sq. ft., while the total plot area ranges from 8,000 sq. ft. to 17,179 sq. ft. Veneto townhouses have three bedrooms, while the options for villas include 3-bed, 4-bed and 5-bed units. Many freehold villas were sold out upon their launch but you can still find a few houses in Veneto available for sale. Here are price trends for both rental and investment options:

• The price of freehold villas swings between AED 3.3M – AED 7.5M.
• The average price of rental villas in Veneto is AED 140k

The rental villas are offered with different payment methods, ranging from one cheque to two, four and six cheques per year. Tenants who pay rents through single cheque full payment are offered 5% discount by the developer. Other charges include refundable security deposit, DEWA deposit of AED 4,000, RERA contract registration fees and Value Added Tax (VAT). For renting five-bedroom villa, one can expect to shell out a yearly amount between AED 150k and AED 180k.

For transportation near Veneto, currently, there is only one road called Al Hesah Street that links the community to Sheikh Zayed Road (E11). Al Hesah Street directly leads to the major highway from one end, while the other end is connected to Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) through Al Maktoum Airport Street (D53).

Provided as a private facility, there are two to three parking spaces in Veneto houses. As for people who are visiting in this area, there are several parking bays along with the paved areas on the streets.

Commercial facilities are yet to develop in Veneto. Meanwhile, residents can take a short drive to one of the various supermarkets near Veneto. The nearest ones include Suncity Supermarket that is just five minutes away and Carrefour Market in Badrah on a seven-minute drive away. Other options include Meena Centre, Nesto Hypermarket and Village Hypermarket that are at a distance of no more than 10 minutes.

A mosque is expected to be built within the community. For now, residents can offer congregational prayers at the mosques near Veneto such as Jebel Ali Mosque, Dp World Camp Mosque and New East Accommodation Mosque. All of these are accessible in eight to 10 minutes.

At an approximate distance of 17 minutes, there is a church compound in Jebel Ali Village. Some of these churches near Veneto are Mor Ignatius Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Cathedral, Our Lady of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, and St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church.

Right next to the church compound is a Sikh temple called Gurunanak Darbar Sikh Gurudwara. Other than this, there are no temples near Veneto for a distance of 30 minutes. After covering the said distance, you can find India Harnath Ke Jama Masjid, whereas Mahamevnawa Buddhist Temple is accessible after the next eight-minute drive.

Presently, there are no educational institutes within the development. The nearby areas such as Dubai Investment Park and Jebel Ali Village do offer a few schools and nurseries. Options for pre-schoolers include:

• Little Woods Nursery
• Chubby Cheeks Nursery
• Bubbles & Giggles Nursery

Schools near Veneto include:

• Bright Riders School
• The International School of Choueifat
• Greenfield Community School

Bright Riders School is an Indian school that follows CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) curriculum and caters to students from Kindergarten 1 to Grade 12. The International School of Choueifat in Dubai Investments Park (DIP) provides SABIS-based education. SABIS, which stands for Semi-Automatic Bibliographic Information System, is an integrated and comprehensive academic program designed for Kindergarten to twelfth-grade students.

Clinics near Veneto such as NMC Poly Clinic and Access Clinic are a couple of smaller medical facilities present in Jebel Ali Industrial Area. Some of the other nearby healthcare centres include:

• Aster Cedars Hospital
• NMC Royal Hospital
• Armada Medical Centre

A leading healthcare chain in UAE, NMC Royal Hospital has a state-of-the-art medical facility in Dubai Investments Park. Other hospitals near Veneto with the proximity of 20 minutes include Armada Medical Centre and Aster Cedars Hospital. Armada Medical Centre is a multi-speciality hospital that has a surgical facility, an in-house pharmacy and a wide range of medical services.

The upcoming and developing projects near Veneto are:

• Canal District
• Madinat Al Arab
• Badrah

One of the key areas of Dubai Waterfront is going to be Madinat Al Arab which is projected as the new downtown of Dubai. Parallel to the coastline, the project site is spread over an area of 522 hectares and sits at the base of a long-term megaproject of The Palm Jebel Ali. Badrah, on the other hand, was launched around the same time when Veneto was announced. Still having ongoing developments, both were the first communities in Dubai Waterfront to offer residential options for families.

Residents can fulfil their comprehensive shopping needs from one of the following malls near Veneto:

• Jafza Commercial Centre
• The Outlet Village 
• Ramla Mall

Located in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Jafza Commercial Centre is the retail complex of the area. It consists of a moderate number of shops and a variety of dining outlets. A recently opened mall by Nakheel, the 72,000-square-foot Pavilion at the Badrah community caters to the shopping needs of the households in Veneto as well. It is home to Carrefour and a number of shops, cafes and other amenities. The European-style discount centre called The Outlet Village is located at a close distance of 15 minutes.

There is no F&B presence within the vicinity at present, however, there is a unique variety of restaurants near Veneto which won’t take much longer to drive to. These are some of the mentions for casual dining:

• Tortilla
• Pascal Tepper French Bakery
• Seafarers Bar & Kitchen

Coffee shops near Veneto are:

• Caribou Coffee
• Caffé Nero
• Cupagahwa

Seafarers Bar & Kitchen is an American-cuisine restaurant that includes a full bar in its menu and offers a game of billiards. It is located in the Duty-Free Dubai Ports Building that is around 10 minutes away. A European dine-in boulangerie, Pascal Tepper French Bakery offers breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. If one fancies Mexican cuisine such as tacos, burritos or quesadilla then Tortilla at Dubai Parks and Resorts would be an ideal choice. For fine dining, the Italian restaurant called La Traviata can be a nice pick.

There are many waterfront destinations Veneto residents can look forward to. The Palm Cove Canal is one of the four main waterways that will be eight kilometres long and 140-metre wide after construction. It will be a part of Dubai Waterfront’s waterway system that provides direct access to the Arabian Gulf with several pick-up and drop-off stations for water taxis and ferries. There will also be picturesque boardwalks, letting visitors enjoy the view of the ocean. To visit open beaches near Veneto, residents can drive to XO Beach that is on an 11-minute drive away and Jebel Ali Beach which is just eight minutes far.

A few tourist spots near Veneto include:

• Jebel Ali Golf Resort
• Maktoum bin Rashid Palace
• Dubai Parks and Resorts

Located on the coastal fringe of Dubai Waterfront, Jebel Ali Golf Resort is one of the happening areas in this southern region of Dubai. It is home to a few award-winning hospitality projects such as JA Beach Hotel and JA Palm Tree Court, as well as the 85-berth full-service marina and a 1,100-square-metre bio-garden. Apart from the supreme-standard sports facilities, Jebel Ali Golf Resort also offers seaplane flights, fishing trips and boat tours. A few kilometres further, you will be able to spot the royal home known as Maktoum Bin Rashid Palace.

There will be a variety of open spaces and recreational facilities in Veneto such as neighbourhood parks, community pools, play area for kids, landscaped walkways. The community will also offer access to waterfront boardwalks and active marinas. In short, these are the outdoor facilities in and near Veneto that are underway:

• Swimming pools
• Waterfront boardwalks
• Landscaped parks

Recreational facilities are numerous for fitness and outdoor sports lovers. Located at a mere distance of six minutes, these include JA Shooting Club, Pursuit Games – Paintball Dubai, Jebel Ali Dragons Rugby Club and a football stadium. Situated 10 minutes away, Dp World Cricket Ground will interest the cricket enthusiasts. The aforementioned Jebel Ali Golf Resort also features a nine-hole championship-standard golf course, a mini-golf course, horse-riding stables, four swimming pools, four tennis courts, volleyball facilities and water sports activities.

For beauty and spa services, the options include:

• Lengths and Lashes Ladies Beauty Salon
• Feet First Reflexology & Massage Centre
• Calm Spa & Salon

Situated within Jebel Ali Golf Resort, Calm Spa & Salon offers a range of rejuvenating face and body treatments for both gents and ladies. Feet First Reflexology & Massage Centre at Dubai Parks and Resorts offers alternative healing therapies such as shiatsu massage, jet-lag massage, de-stress massage, acupressure facial or hand reflexology. It is accessible after a 15-minute drive. Established in the vicinity, Lengths and Lashes Ladies Beauty Salon takes care of the beauty needs of the ladies living in Veneto.

Dubai Waterfront is a developing community so you won’t find any community events taking place. However, a few sporting events are held at nearby training facilities such as MX Academy.

Few of the things to consider before moving to Veneto are the limited presence of amenities and connectivity to public transport. But this will get better as many amenities are in pipeline. The public transport options are expected to expand too once the development is complete.

• Two kilometres away from the seashore
• Next to Jebel Ali Free Zone and the industrial area
• The Dubai – Abu Dhabi border is accessible in 20 minutes
• Al Maktoum International Airport is located at a distance of 30 minutes towards the south
• Dubai Marina lies on the east, around 20 minutes away